Hello there and welcome if you're new to The Headspace, in this devlog I'll be discussing what has been done since the release of the game's demo and my future plans when developing the project. I'm not really one to waste time over introductions so let's go over the main major update the game will have in the coming future.

The Merryweather Update

In case you were unaware the headspace is planned to have four characters in total, only three being "helpers" of the game that allow you to journal with them. Currently, in the current state of the game, only two characters are available in the game. Those two characters being Stephanie and William, Stephanie being the only character the player can journal with at the moment. Currently, I'm working on the second helper the player can journal with, Merryweather (Or Merry, for short).

As of last week I've had most of my schedule taken up by College and have been using some of my free time and off-days to work on an aspect of the game. Last week I primarily focused on texturing a few things in the prototype scene and getting a basic feel of how I want everything to look.

Next week I plan to work on fixing bugs in the player script to help improve player movement as there are a few things the player will need in Merry's level that they didn't quite need in the others. I also plan on making Merry's door accessible to the player and start working on Merry's introductory dialogue for when they first meet the player. As of currently, Merry is just a blank object in the world so I do need to work on their expression sprites but I don't plan on doing so until about next week or the week after.

So, that is where this update stands, I'll return with another update as soon as this update has been completed.

Other plans/Further Development

As for other plans regarding The Headspace and Its development I am also happy to announce that alongside the Merryweather update you will also be receiving updates regarding the other characters, this includes dialogue updates, updates with new keywords the characters can detect in your writing, and possibly new features later down the line after the Merryweather Update or alongside it depending on when I decide said features.

As of currently, the only significant feature in the game is the ability to write in a journal and have the characters respond to what you write, but I think it would be beneficial to the player and interesting to add a few more features to keep the game interesting. Perhaps these features can be added later on down the line once the third helper is created and can be unlocked depending on the relationship level the player has with the characters. However, this is just wishful thinking for later on down the line, I plan to send out more of a "discussion" type devlog when I decide to implement these new features where whoever may have a suggestion for a new feature can post it in the comments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Merryweather is starting the first couple of steps of being implemented into the game, next week I plan on writing their introductory dialogue as well as fixing a few bugs in the player movement script that I noticed while building the prototype of Merry's area. I also plan to build Merry's door and have it accessible to the player so the player can access Merry's area. Alongside the Merryweather update, the game will have some dialogue updates to pre-existing characters as well as some graphical improvements. I have plans to develop new features to keep the player entertained but that will not come until I have finished development with the last two helpers.

Thank you for reading and following the development of The Headspace.